Prasad pans surveillance reports, says govt will protect right to privacy

The government is committed to protecting the fundamental right of its citizens to privacy and reports of surveillance of citizens are completely misleading, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Replying to a query on safety of citizen’s data during Question Hour, the Electronics and IT minister said the government operates strictly according to provisions of law and laid down protocol.

“There are adequate safeguards to ensure that no innocent citizen is harassed or his or her privacy breached… The government is committed to protecting the fundamental rights of citizens, including the right to privacy,” he said.